Volunteer Guidelines

Volunteers play an important role in the quality of life in all Tredyffrin/Easttown schools. The assistance and support they offer to staff and students is invaluable and their contributions are part of what make our schools special. The following guidelines have been developed to assist you in serving in this unique function. Offering to volunteer in any district school assumes your understanding and agreement with these guidelines.

Volunteer Clearances

In a new effort to support a safe school environment, Pennsylvania child protection laws now require most parent volunteers to have background clearances in order to serve in our school buildings.

Please send in your clearances by July 1 to ensure that you are available to volunteer at the beginning of the next school year. We would also encourage you to send the completed forms all together to make the process simpler. These clearances take very little time to complete and most can be done online.

There are three clearances required:

The Pennsylvania Criminal Record Check

The Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance

The FBI Federal Criminal History Record OR if you have resided in Pennsylvania for the previous ten-year period, you may submit a signed and witnessed affidavit instead of the FBI Federal Criminal History Record.

Please submit your clearance confirmations to the Human Resources Department at the District Administration Offices via email at volunteerclearances@tesd.net.

The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District welcomes and values its volunteers. Our school volunteers share their time, talents and skills to enhance the educational experiences of our students. We look forward to your continuing contributions in our schools!

Confidentiality

Information you may see or hear can affect the lives and futures of individual students. Volunteers must respect the privacy of this information and maintain the same in strict confidence. This same standard of confidentiality applies to policy statements, school procedures and district reports.

Relations with Students

Volunteers are viewed by students and parents as representatives of the School Board and the School Administration, and are perceived by students as authority figures. When issues or a personal or controversial nature are raised by students, volunteers are placed in a difficult position. While working in a volunteer capacity in school or at school-related activities however, volunteers must refrain from debating, discussing or imposing their opinions on students on personal or controversial issues.

Responsibility for Students

Teachers bear the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of students during school activities. When working with students, or chaperoning field trips or school activities, parent volunteers must report all incidents of inappropriate behavior or situations in which students might be in danger to the teacher in charge of the activity.

Attendance

School personnel depend upon and plan for the assistance of the volunteers on a regular basis. Volunteers are encouraged to notify the various personnel with whom they work as far in advance as possible if they are unable to help in their regular time slot. Concerns or questions about the guidelines or volunteer assignments should be referred to the Coordinator of Community and Volunteer Services at (610) 240-1913.